10 Days South India Tour Package
This ten-day South India tour combines Tamil Nadu's temple trail — Chennai, Mahabalipuram, the Chola heartland and Madurai — with a crossing into Kerala for the Munnar hills and Alleppey's backwaters, the classic way the two neighbouring states are combined into one trip.
- Private guide and vehicle
- Reply within four hours, 9am–9pm IST
- No payment to start planning
- Duration
- 10 days / 9 nights
- Price
- Quoted per person
- Route
- Arrive Chennai → Departure
Reviewed by Experience My India Editorial Team · Updated 1 Sept 2026
Route
- Travellers who want temples and backwaters in one trip rather than choosing between Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
- Best November to March across both states.
This ten-day South India tour combines Tamil Nadu's temple trail — Chennai, Mahabalipuram, the Chola heartland and Madurai — with a crossing into Kerala for the Munnar hills and Alleppey's backwaters, the classic way the two neighbouring states are combined into one trip.
Tamil Nadu's temples into Kerala's hills and water
Tamil Nadu's temples and Kerala's backwaters, hills and coast are next-door neighbours, and together they make the classic South India trip. This ten-day route runs the Tamil Nadu temple trail first, then crosses the Western Ghats into Kerala for Munnar and the backwaters.
Day 1
Arrive ChennaiMet on arrival; Marina Beach and Kapaleeshwarar Temple.- Met on arrival; Marina Beach and Kapaleeshwarar Temple.
Meals: Breakfast · Stay: Chennai
Day 2
Chennai to MahabalipuramShore Temple and the rock-cut monuments.- Shore Temple and the rock-cut monuments.
Meals: Breakfast · Stay: Mahabalipuram
Day 3
Mahabalipuram to ThanjavurDrive into the Chola heartland, about 4–5 hours.- Drive into the Chola heartland, about 4–5 hours.
Meals: Breakfast · Stay: Thanjavur
Day 4
Thanjavur temple, on to MaduraiBrihadeeswarar Temple in the morning. · +1 more- Brihadeeswarar Temple in the morning.
- Drive to Madurai, about 3 hours.
Meals: Breakfast · Stay: Madurai
Day 5
Madurai — Meenakshi TempleFull morning at the Meenakshi Amman Temple; afternoon markets.- Full morning at the Meenakshi Amman Temple; afternoon markets.
Meals: Breakfast · Stay: Madurai
Day 6
Madurai to MunnarLong scenic drive over the Western Ghats, about 5–6 hours.- Long scenic drive over the Western Ghats, about 5–6 hours.
Meals: Breakfast · Stay: Munnar
Day 7
Munnar tea countryTea estate visit and a viewpoint over the plantations.- Tea estate visit and a viewpoint over the plantations.
Meals: Breakfast · Stay: Munnar
Day 8
Munnar to AlleppeyDrive down to the backwaters, about 4 hours. · +1 more- Drive down to the backwaters, about 4 hours.
- Board a houseboat for an overnight cruise.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner (on houseboat) · Stay: Houseboat, Alleppey
Day 9
Backwaters at leisure, to KochiDisembark after breakfast; drive to Kochi, about 1.5 hours. · +1 more- Disembark after breakfast; drive to Kochi, about 1.5 hours.
- Afternoon walk through Fort Kochi.
Meals: Breakfast · Stay: Kochi
Day 10
DepartureTransfer to Kochi airport for your onward flight.- Transfer to Kochi airport for your onward flight.
Meals: Breakfast · Stay: Departure day
Experience My India quotes this trip per person in INR after confirming your dates, hotel category and group size. The written quote names every hotel and inclusion, and nothing is charged until you approve it.
What’s included
- Private car and driver throughout
- One night on an Alleppey houseboat, all meals included on board
- Local guide at the major temple sites
- Daily breakfast
What’s not included
- Flights in and out
- Temple camera and special-entry fees
- Lunches and dinners except on the houseboat
- Travel insurance
10 Days South India Tour Package
Who it suits
- Travellers who want temples and backwaters in one trip rather than choosing between Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Best November to March across both states.
Why book with Experience My India?
Government-approved operator
Approved by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
500+ vetted local guides
35+ destination specialists plan every trip by hand.
Human help, every day
Mon–Sun, 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM IST · +91 73022 65809
No payment until you approve
You receive a written quote first; nothing is charged to start planning.
How we vet every guide, stay and routeIndia e-Visa: who needs one and how to applyHave a specialist design this trip
How does booking work?
- 1
Send an enquiry
Dates, who is travelling and how you like to travel. Two fields to start.
- 2
We check availability
Hotels, guides and permits for your dates, with honest alternatives if something is full.
- 3
Price and hotels named
Every hotel and inclusion is named before you pay anything.
- 4
Written quote in INR
One document, no hidden lines, valid for the dates it quotes.
- 5
You approve
Change anything you like. Nothing is charged until you say yes.
- 6
A named specialist runs it
The same person from first reply to departure, Mon–Sun, 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM IST.
Meet your trip designer
Gurudutt Kaushal
Founder, Experience My India · IIT Jodhpur
Gurudutt Kaushal founded Experience My India and set the two rules every trip here runs on: hotels and guides are named before you pay, and a human replies within four hours. Your itinerary is designed by one of the 35+ destination specialists on his team and checked against our vetting standard.
Trust and protection
Ministry of Tourism approved
Approved by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
Registered business
GSTIN 09BZFPM8067A1Z9
4.5 / 5 on Tripadvisor
Independent guest reviews
No payment to start
A written quote first; charged in INR only after you approve.
What do guests say?
- 5 stars4
- 4 stars2
- 3 stars1
- 2 stars0
- 1 stars0
What our guests say
Sneha Pillai
Kochi, Kerala · Family · Verified trip
3/53 days agovia Google
Ana Beatriz Costa
São Paulo, Brazil · Friends · Verified trip
4/51 month agoA lovely, well-organised trip. Only small gripe is that the morning pickup was fifteen minutes late on day one. Everything after that was punctual to the minute, so I suspect it was a one-off.
via Google
Pieter de Vries
Amsterdam, Netherlands · Solo · Verified trip
5/52 months agoHonest pricing with no surprises. What we were quoted is what we paid, entry tickets included, and the guide waved off the usual hangers-on at the monuments without any fuss.
via Tripadvisor
Kiran Joshi
Nagpur, Maharashtra · Group · Verified trip
5/53 months agoOur guide grew up in the old town and it showed. We got the version of the city locals see, not the coach-tour one. He also found us a wonderful sweet shop that has ruined all other sweets for me.
via Google
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancellation terms are confirmed with your written quote
- No payment is taken until you approve the itinerary.
Is this the same as the Tamil Nadu temple trail alone?
No — this ten-day version crosses into Kerala for Munnar and the backwaters after the Tamil Nadu temple stops, rather than adding Rameswaram and Kanyakumari as the ten-day Tamil-Nadu-only version does.
How do you cross from Tamil Nadu into Kerala on this route?
By road over the Western Ghats from Madurai to Munnar, about five to six hours on a scenic mountain road.
Can this trip end in Trivandrum instead of Kochi?
Yes, by adding a night in Varkala before departure; ask and we will re-quote.
Request a quote
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